


Long Lost Brother

by Sharking



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aaron Minyard-centric, Aaron being emotionally constipated, Aged-Up Character(s), Doctor Aaron Minyard, F/F, F/M, Homelessness, I speel Kaitlyn's name wrong in this entire thing, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Poverty, Starvation, Swearing, Wholesome Twinyards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:21:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28638444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharking/pseuds/Sharking
Summary: Andrew had handed him a train ticket and demanded he get on it.14 years later Aaron still has the ticket. He hasn't seen his brother since that day.-Aaron is a country doctor for the small town of Palmetto. He's one of three. He, his wife, and their three children live a satisfying but uneventful life. He helps, he heals, he fixes what's broken.When Andrew show's up at his door with a broken and sickly boy in his arms, Aaron doesn't know if he can fix what's been broken so long ago.
Relationships: Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 28
Kudos: 192





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> TW: some references to Andrew's past, similar to canon

It wasn't often that Aaron thought of his brother. He didn't have a lot to remember. The small keepsakes he has are hidden in a box in the barn that he only opens when he needs to cry. Sometimes he misses him so badly it hurts, other times he is so mad at him that he wants to throw the box to the ground and set it on fire. He's never reached for the matches though. 

The only family he ever had was a mother he never knew the name of, a brother who protected him from the horrors of the world, and a cousin in a far away place that he had met only once. 

In the box he had his brother's birth certificate. The doll from his mother's childhood which he had stolen when they ran. The strip of fabric Andrew tied around his head to keep the sweat from his eyes. The ticket they'd found on the ground for a carnival. The coin Nickolas had given him along with the letter, though the letters had long since faded on the edges. Aaron had memorized it, it didn't matter. A train ticket. 

In that box is the part of Aaron's life he doesn't share with Kaitlyn or the girls. He'd told her the briefest of descriptions. Kept it vague and distant. It was a long time ago. He was a different person now. He told her she didn't need to know. 

She had accepted with a sad smile that calmed his nerves.

That's why he didn't talk to her about this. Instead, he talked to the baby. He was still young enough to forget anything said to him so Aaron would talk to him openly. Tell him about the houses he and Andrew had spent their days in. The abuse they faced. The opium. He never says anything he wouldn't want the baby babbling to Kaitlyn. Keeps it simple and clean out of context. He let's his mind fill in the blanks when the words won't come out. He always feels stupidly sentimental in those moments.

He'd promise to deep brown eyes that he would never let anyone hurt him the way they had hurt Andrew. Swore he would protect him. Pray to a god he didn't believe in that this boy would be safe from harm.

He wondered if that did more harm than good. Begging a politician to spare a life when he hadn't cast a vote for him in the first place. 

The girls were twins. And that too made Aaron sad. They were his everything, his whole world in two strawberry blonde little heads. Yet his first thought when Kaitlyn had fought through labor was, "These two will stick together. I won't let them be separated."

He hadn't told Kaitlyn that. There were some things a man couldn't tell his wife. Like how his mom had been so drugged up that the only things he knew about her were from snooping through her records, like how his brother had let people hurt him just so they wouldn't touch Aaron, how he had bought him a train ticket and told him to leave town as soon as possible, like how he couldn't let his mirror image escape his mind no matter how much he tried. If he told her these things, then he would tear himself in two in the process. And he wouldn't do that. He would be strong for his family.

They'd met at a party hosted by one of their mutual friends. She was studying child development in the same college Aaron was studying medicine. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He was struck when he saw her and only managed to introduce himself as she was leaving.

He'd asked if he could take her out. Aaron had been cursed with getting acne later in life than many of his peers. He'd had a whopper on his forehead at the time and was certain this girl was going to laugh in his face. Instead she gave him a time and a place and he cancelled the appointment he had scheduled for that time. 

Somehow, he had wowed her. 

What Aaron didn't know is that Kaitlyn had seen him on the campus and been struck just the same way he was. She had followed him to the library where he was meeting with Christopher. Their mutual friend. Kaitlyn hadn't been more than aquaintances with him until that moment. She waited patiently for them to finish and once they had she rushed up to Christopher, "You are going to host a party in that nice house of yours and you're going to invite me and whoever it was you were just talking to, got it?"

And he had. No one denied Kaitlyn when she made a demand like that.

And so they met and went on dates and when they both graduated and Aaron finished his residency and Kaitlyn's father died and left her the family farm, well she asked him to move in with her. 

And Aaron couldn't deny Kaitlyn. He hadn't wanted to. He would go wherever she wanted and that was where he'd be happiest. By her side.

Didn't mean he loved the other parts of country living.

He was one of 3 doctors for a town of roughly 5,000. They had joked each would get a year's time off of their job, a rotation system. Spend the time having children, spending time with the wife and the children they'd already had. However no such system was put into place. As his house and life were in the south side of town and the other two men lived on the North he was in charge of the townsfolk on his half. He didn't take time off unless his wife was near birthing time. 

He got to most houses on horse and the car they'd spent years saving up for only went into town when he needed to get to the town quick. He was a country doctor after all, he would go wherever someone needed his help. 

House calls occupied him more often than not but there was an office in town. However only one nurse worked there. The amount of surgeries they'd had to do, which should have had a team of 5 or more, was astounding. But they got it done in the end which he supposes is all they really needed to do.

Her name was Robin and she had a stronger stomach than most. Certainly stronger than Aaron’s

They’d amputated a young man's lower leg just last spring. It had been destroyed by falling debris but somehow the boy had lived. Aaron and Robin drank coffee and smoked in the kitchen of the building; an exhausted silence settled through the night; they had to be ready if anything went wrong.

In the second week of February Aaron had given a shot of morphine to Preacher Craig while he was in his car. He had to pull over to the side of the road when a pain ripped through his chest. Aaron had found him in no time upon the directions given by a farm boy Craig had yelled out to. 

The Johnson's daughter had her eye kicked by a horse just a week later. He stitched her up and sent her to a specialist a few hundred miles away in a city. That's where all the doctors went. Needed the money.

It was exhausting work and Aaron swore people in the south side of town got injured or sick more often than those of the North just to spite him. Of course Kevin and Seth got Timmy the perpetually sick boy but there hadn't been any serious surgery for them all year. It was only May and Aaron had already performed three operations. 

When his work went wild it was these moments of peace that he truly needed. The night could last hours if he let it.

He looked out at the endless stars hanging above the sky. They were so bright and brilliant and vast. It was almost too much to look at. If he had let himself, his mind could drift among the stars. Stay there for a while. Just him and a sense of calm and dark. 

He was holding the baby though and Kaitlyn had warned him against staying outside for too long with him. Didn't want Joseph to catch a cold.

He wondered if this was right. To name a child after the brother he couldn't save. Kaitlyn said it was sweet, as the the girls were named after her grandmothers, Virginia and Mary. They had agreed on that. Keeping the name's in the family. She had swaths and swaths of relatives, practically a million names to chose from, Aaron had two. Andrew and Nickolas. 

She had been the one to suggest they name the baby after Andrew. He had broken down in front of her and she held him as he shook, he whispered to her that he couldn't name the baby Andrew. A part of him still had hope his brother was alive somewhere and you only named babies after dead relatives. 

She had countered with Joseph, Andrew's middle name, and Aaron had hugged her and told her it was perfect. And it was.

Because this wasn't Andrew, named after an uncle he never got to meet, this was Joseph a boy who would love his long lost uncle whenever they were able to meet. 

Aaron had cried in the barn that night, still within earshot of his wife of course. She was very pregnant at the time, round like twins. They had freaked out that they'd have another unplanned duo joining them. But no, it was just this boy in his arms. Eyes darker than Andrew's had ever been. 

He couldn't wait to yell out a little scolding "Joseph" when the boy went somewhere he wasn't supposed to. Kaitlyn had laughed at him and they went back and forth exchanging ridiculous places he could end up going.

"Joseph! Get away from that rabid dog!" She had said.

"Joseph! Get off that carnival tent this instant!" He shot back at her through giggles.

"Joseph! Get out of that girls car right this minute! God knows you'll probably make twins!" And she did this impression of him that was so terrible it was perfect.

They had collapsed laughing so hard that the girls woke up and joined them on the floor. He held them tightly and spun around, making them break out with shrieks of joy. His brother had laughed like that once, before the world pushed on him until he broke. What he wouldn't give to hear his brother's laugh just once more.

It wasn't often that Aaron actively thought of Andrew, but 14 years since they had been separated and Andrew was still making his presence known. 

Only when he was with the baby, alone with the stars, did he let himself wonder aloud, "Do you think Andrew ever thinks of me? As I do so often of him."

He had no way of knowing, his exact copy was driving a stolen car into town, praying the Aaron Minyard in the phone directory really grew up to be a doctor like he said he'd wanted to. Otherwise he and the sick man clinging to his arm were royally fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Andrew's past, similar to in canon, nothing explicitly described but it is described as happening

Andrew tried his hardest to forget Aaron. His memory wouldn't relinquish its grip on the blond boy. He couldn't see a train or a doctors office or a blonde kid without immediately being reminded of his brother.

The last time he'd seen him in person was from 50 feet away, watching as his brother boarded a train. He'd been 13 at the time. 

There was a man. A terribly large man who told everyone his name was Drake. He held a reputation and a stench that you couldn't ignore. He spent his nights walking down alleys looking for people who could use a room for a night. It came at a price. A price many women weren't willing to risk. 

Andrew and Aaron had always been scrawny. He told Aaron they'd been cursed to be this short forever and Aaron had laughed and said their growth spurts would come sooner or later. Turns out he was wrong. Before Andrew had grown to hate the feeling of another person touching him, he and Aaron would sleep tucked into one another. They needed any warmth they could get. One of these nights Andrew had his brother wrapped close to his chest. He was shivering violently against Andrew and his ribs poked out dangerously. He might have been sick and Andrew hadn't been able to get any medicine for him. He had failed. 

So he approached Drake. Looked at the ground and tried to ignore the pounding of his heart. He told the man about his brother and about the illness and the cold and the starvation. And Drake had laughed. He had laughed right in his face, crouching down to be at the same height. Drake was terribly large.

He told Andrew he could take care of his brother, if Andrew took care of him. 

Andrew wasn't stupid. He wasn't as naive as his brother. He'd been down to the pier. He'd seen what people liked to do to each other. What people paid for. He knew exactly what Drake meant by take care. 

He had nothing else to offer. He couldn't take care of Aaron on his own. His body was the only thing he could give someone. And this man was willing to take it.

So he agreed, the only condition was that Drake couldn't touch Aaron. He'd laughed again but agreed. Andrew wished he hadn't believed him. 

Andrew pulled a sleepy Aaron behind him as they walked to the inn Drake had instructed them to meet him in. There was a woman there. She was all smiles. Inexplicably bright for a place so dreary. They were characters in a play, poor dirty kids, and she cooed at them. Andrew had been much more trusting then. He was only 12. 

"Hi there! I'm Cass, you must be the boys Drake was telling me about. Why don't I get you something to eat."

She'd sat them down at a table with peanuts and a bowl of soup each. Andrew had eaten his as quickly as his stomach could handle. Aaron was still sickly, he ate slowly. His face was pale and Andrew wondered what he would have to do to get him medicine. What would Drake make him do?

Cass came up to Aaron with a rag. She looked to Andrew before moving to touch him. He didn't get what she was asking for but he nodded. She put the cool rag on his brother's forehead and he groaned. Andrew was out of his chair in an instant to hold his brother's hand. 

"Is he sick?"

Andrew nodded.

"Has he been sick for a while?"

Andrew told her his symptoms and what he'd eaten and every detail he could remember. She listened intently, and didn't seemed bothered when he couldn't remember a word or how to pronounce something. Aaron always had been the smarter of them. When he was done she took the rag off of Aaron's forehead.

"I can take care of him while you're staying here? He can stay until he's better. He can have something to eat and I can get him medicine?"

And Andrew had hugged her. Quickly, in and out. The touch there and gone before she could hug him back. He held his brother's hand again and stared anywhere but the woman in front of him. "Thank you," he forced out and a little tear traced down her face. He didn't know why she was crying. She lifted Aaron up like he weighed nothing, he probably didn't. He followed her into a little room, there was a bed and a sink and a toilet.

"He can stay here while you stay with Drake? We've never rented the room out because it's so small but it should be a good place for him to heal. Sorry I didn't ask earlier, is he Andrew or are you?"

And that's what they'd done. When Drake came in that night he reeked of booze. Surprisingly he was perfectly well behaved for Cass, his mother, and he turned to Andrew after saying goodnight to his mother. He smiled like a wild dog. 

"Ready for bed?"

Andrew nodded and Drake grabbed his hand roughly. Cass waved at him and she looked on the verge of tears again. He didn't understand her. 

As it turns out, the limited understanding of sex Andrew had was sufficient. Drake did most of the work, ignored the tears on his face, muffled the pained noises he made, finished and left. And Andrew felt numb and angry and sad. 

This pattern repeated for the month Andrew and Aaron spent in the inn. Cass would feed them and care for them in the day and in the night Drake would take him apart. Andrew could feel him growing bored but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't force himself to put more effort into their sex. 

Their birthday came and went and Cass made them a special dinner and gave them each a present. 3 dollars. It was more than either of them had ever had before. She said she didn't know what they liked and this present would make up for neither of them getting a gift any of their earlier birthdays. He was upset at her for remembering that little fact he'd told her. He was upset that she could hand out something so valuable to some kids she didn't even know. He was upset that she cared for them. He was upset that Aaron had gotten better a week ago and Andrew couldn't stand to leave the warmth Cass gave them. He was upset that he let Drake do these things to him just so Aaron could have the chance at a mom who cared about him. He was upset that he wanted that too.

Drake's eyes had been lingering on Aaron more and more lately and Andrew was upset he'd have to take Aaron away from the comfort and warmth and food. He had to. 

Aaron cried and he hugged her. A little longer than the one he'd given her the first day. 

That night after Drake was through with him Andrew snuck down to Aaron's room. He shook him awake,

"Andrew?"

"We have to leave." He wondered if Aaron could tell his lips were swollen.

He'd reached out for his brother and Andrew had flinched away and tried to hold his anger, "You're leaving on a train. Tomorrow. You're going to uncle's."

"Luther?"

"I've gotten the address of his church. You won't tell them about me. You'll go and you'll go to school and college."

"Andrew I won't leave you."

"It's not up to you. They have the money to send you to college. You will go. This is not an argument."

And Aaron watched his brother shake in front of him. He looked utterly exhausted. Had been this way since they'd gotten to this place. Aaron had confronted him early on but Andrew had said he was fine. Aaron knew what was happening. Andrew knew that he knew. They both knew what Andrew was doing for him, neither said a thing. He wouldn't mention the tears now in the dark. He'd spare his brother that.

"Don't stay here when I leave, okay?"

And Andrew latched onto Aaron's hand. Gave him the slip of paper with the address, a train ticket, his remaining 50 cents, and instructions about which stop to get off at and how to spend the few dollars he had left.

"You will be great without me."

"Please live."

And those were the last words they'd ever said to each other. Andrew wished he could forget the fearful tone in his brother's voice. The way he practically begged Andrew to live. 

It was those words that had kept him alive in the following years spent alone. When he had stolen a knife from the kitchen, or when he was pushed around and held down, or when he stood at the top of a very tall building and felt the promise of relief. He had seen the possibility of all the suffering coming to an end. 

Andrew had kept track of Aaron. Knew the high school he graduated from, the college he attended and when he graduated, but after that. . . He'd lost track of him. The thought of it brought such great self hatred that Andrew had stepped further on the ledge. 

When his world was falling apart he could always find relief in the fact that he'd done at least one thing good. He'd left the world better off by keeping Aaron in it. He had curled himself around his brother and took every blow aimed at the both of them. His impact was a positive one, he could die happily knowing that.

But a part of him that he hated, a part that itched and itched and itched no matter how much he scratched at it, needed to know where his brother was. 

It was this part that stepped back from the ledge, every time

Andrew had found work for a rich man known for doing tasks that would make anyone sane squeal. He worked the door of his club. The man, Nathan Wesninski, hadn't taken what so many had taken from Andrew. He paid him what he was due and that was it. All the same it felt wrong to call Nathan a good man. He wasn't. Not by any means.

He'd met the man's son. Named selfishly after himself. Nathaniel. 

The boy was scrawny the way Aaron had been all this years ago. Where Andrew had filled in since then through manual labor and back breaking work, this boy looked like a cautionary tale about the effects of drugs.

He often tumbled out of the club bruised or bleeding in the middle of the night. As far as security went, he wasn't supposed to interact with any of Nathan's family. It apparently broke a line of professionalism. Andrew couldn't find it in himself to care.

He and Nathaniel weren't quite friends. Andrew knew people would call him sick but he thought the boy was rather attractive. He was fucking crazy. The boy was a wild animal. He was only one year younger than Andrew and a few inches taller. They made out in the alley. 

Nathaniel told him about his family, Andrew told him about Aaron. He thought he might have found someone to spend his days with. Someone he could stand to touch him. Someone he let passed the boundaries he set up to keep other's out. Someone who respected when he told him no. Someone who cared.

He helped Andrew with his hunt for his brother. Used his father's money to track him down. 

Neil, as he told Andrew he preferred to be called, was being starved. He hadn't told him, Andrew could just tell. He knew Nathan resented his son but the boy was sickly to the point a strong breeze could topple him. It had gone too far a long time ago.

One night he ran out of the club as he normally did, his breathing was fast and he had a sack in his hands. He looked ill.

"I found your brother. Let's go to him."

Andrew immediately left his perch. He took Neil to his apartment, small and cramped and empty. He put all his savings and a few changes of clothing into a bag and took Neil's hand. They ran down the stairs and out onto the street. They stole someone's car, they didn't care who's it was.

He was in a small town called Palmetto about 250 miles away. 

Neil had an old friend who worked in the same town. He wasn't even a part of the search, he'd just happened to complain in a letter about a short blonde man named Aaron who had a better reputation than him. He was a doctor. He had a wife. He had kids. 

And Andrew had let himself cry that night in a stolen car as Neil slept fitfully in the passenger seat. 

He was safe. He was alive. 

And he was getting closer with every mile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: sick character, references to Andrew’s past

The town of Palmetto looked sad. There was no bustling crowds. No people to slip between. No alleys to run down. No escape from the open air. Neil was going to hate it. There were only a few buildings more than one story and even those looked run down. It was a flat place with people dressed simple and plain. A terrible place to disappear. 

The drive had provided similar sites. Small towns no one ever stopped at unless they were visiting someone who lived there. He supposes he technically fit into that criteria. What a twisted rendition of the song. 

Neil was groaning in the passenger seat and had been for the past few hours of the drive. Andrew doubted he saw beyond the teal interior of the car. There was a pile of vomit between his legs. He smelled like death.

The good thing about the town was it was a fair bet that everyone would know everyone. These people probably knew Aaron, probably had their injuries treated by him, probably considered him an acquaintance, some may even consider him a friend. That was priority number one, find Aaron. 

Processing the idea of seeing his brother after half a lifetime of no contact, that could come second.

He rolled down the window, the crank smooth and efficient. 

Some boys were playing in their front yard, "Where's Kevin Day?" Andrew shouted. He was a little surprised they didn't eye him warily before he remembered he must look like the neighborhood doctor. No need to fear a healer.

The little boys pointed to a building just down he road. It was a white building with a Red Cross on the front. How expected. Andrew sped down the road and reached out a hand for Neil's. Their fingers interlocked and Andrew squeezed, "We're here. You're going to be okay."

He doubted Neil could even hear him.

Within 30 seconds he was carrying Neil into the building. Forgoing a knock on the door. He was instantly met with a nurse who had shock in her eyes, "Aaron? Who is this? What are we doing?"

He ignore his frustration with hearing his brother's name. This woman knew him, worked with him. "Where's Kevin?"

She gave him a confused look, "He's on his way back from Miss Gibson. How . . ?" She trailed off and he knew she was looking at the scar on his forehead. He had gotten it during one of the few months he had spent boxing to make a living. He was pretty shit at it. People didn't often land a hit but he didn't land many either. His depth perception came back to haunt him on his last fight. His forehead split open and he bled all over the ring. He met Renee that night, she had taught him to fight and win. The scar stayed with him, he doubted Aaron had one to match. 

"Can you take care of him," he motioned to Neil in his arms, he was too out of it to wake up afraid at Andrew's absence, "I need to find my brother. Where does Aaron live?"

"You're Andrew." There was a tone of disbelief in her voice. He didn't have time for this.

"Do you have a bed or not?"

She nodded and shook herself out of her stupor. She lead him into a back room. The hallways weren't the crisp off-white of city hospitals. It was clean. There were no vomit or blood stains. It seemed like a place that was taken care of. The people of this town had time to take care of the doctors office. It wasn't even a hospital. 

There was another man in the room at the end of the hall. It had frilly wallpaper that seemed fit for a child. Did they lead him here because they thought Neil was a kid? That would have been funny had the situation not been so dire. There was a man, a doctor, in the room. He also seemed to react in shock at seeing him but his gaze didn't linger on Neil but rather stayed pinned on him. This wasn't Kevin. 

He opened his mouth like a fish but the nurse interrupted before he could ask any questions, Andrew was unfortunately grateful, "This is Andrew. Aaron's brother, we need to treat this boy he brought in." She asked for his symptoms as Andrew layed him gently on the bed. Neil looked terribly pale. He looked terribly out of place in a town with one doctor's office. He was the city mouse.

"He's sick and he's been starved. Been throwing up and feverish. Can you take care of him while I find my brother?"

He looked at the nurse, the doctor still hadn't stopped staring at Andrew. 

"Yes, we can take care of him. When Kevin's back I can have him drive you to Aaron's house."

He nodded and the nurse left the room. It was easy to let his weight slink into the chair the doctor had previously occupied. He'd driven for two days straight with only small breaks, he was exhausted. The doctor had seemed to slip into a work mindset. Andrew understood that. Deal with what you do understand rather than the thing you didn't. Right now Neil's sickness he understood and Andrew's existence he did not. 

Andrew took a moment to breath.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Neil hadn't been bad when they'd started the journey. It was this morning when he started getting significantly worse. He couldn't keep awake or hold his stomach. Andrew had pulled over so frequently he was starting to get worried they wouldn't have enough gas to make It to Palmetto. He'd decided Neil could throw up out the window or unfortunately, in the car if he needed to. He had done both. Andrew was sure they both stunk of vomit. 

The center of town was a small pushed together area of houses and stores. Andrew had seen on the way in both winding paths to farm houses and a rural maze of roads. He knew he probably would've gotten lost if he tried to make it on his own. Still, the itch to see his brother was almost consuming him. He was so close. Closer than he'd been in years. It had been a lifetime since they were next to each other. He was so different. So painfully different he feared his brother wouldn't recognize him.

The world he'd saved Aaron from had hardened him. It had coated him in metal. It had buried his heart so deep only one very dedicated man had been able to reach it. People had forced him to do things he wouldn't wish on anyone. He knew it had changed who he was. He felt like the little boy Aaron knew was completely gone. It wasn't his fault but still, what if Aaron didn't want to have a brother again. What if he only wanted the Andrew he had known. Oh how different he was now.

He wondered just how different Aaron was. Married, what a marvel idea. Andrew looked to Neil and though of what could have been. In a different time in a different place they could have been normal. As soon as the thought came Andrew let out a little laugh, a sad humorless noise that resulted in the doctor freezing for a moment before continuing. They never would have been normal. Not in a million years. Them both being men had little to do with that.

There was the noise of an opening door down the hall and Andrew stood, sparing a glance to Neil's still body on the bed. He was breathing. He was fine.

There was no way anyone in this town wanted to hurt him. They had no way of knowing who his father was. He was just some boy to them.

Andrew moved to the front of the building to where a tall man with dark hair and tan skin spoke with the nurse. He would've thought. a little town like this wouldn't employ a doctor who wasn't white. Maybe he told everyone he was Italian. The fake Italian startled at the sight of Andrew, a reaction he was becoming more and more annoyed with.

"Andrew."

"I assume you're Kevin."

The man nodded. he was tall but hunched. He looked small.

"Take me to him."

He nodded again and Andrew was moving away from the boy who cared for him. The only one who had for years. It hurt but he could ignore it, had ignored the burning for years. What was a few hours more.

Kevin's car was nice.

Andrew got into the passenger seat and looked out at the town as they passed it. It was so unfamiliar it hurt. Andrew had never left the city where Aaron had left him. He'd never been to the countryside. He'd stayed away from Drake but hadn't ended up many better places. He had made one friend though, a friend who taught him to defend himself. From then on out, no one fucked with Andrew and got away with it. Many still tried. They didn't live to regret it. 

These people playing in their yards and making small talk with the milkman didn't know that world. 

Maybe Kevin did though, if he was friends with Neil.

They drove in silence. "Are you the boy Nathanie- I mean Neil wrote to me about?" Kevin was clearly nervous.

Andrew didn't have nearly enough information to confirm or deny that so instead he stayed quiet. He had no way of knowing what sort of relationship Neil and this doctor had. He was not going to out either of them without said information. Even then he wasn't keen on talking about their relationship, if you could call it that.

They drove along the dusty road, Andrew's silence accepted by the hunched man next to him. Minutes passed before a farm came into view.

"He lives here with his wife and kids."

Andrew knew that, but he hadn't know it until then. His brother had a life. A nice life. 

"Check Neil's Lower right stomach."

As Kevin pulled to a stop he looked to Andrew, "You think it's appendicitis?" and Andrew didn't say anything. He'd seen the word on paper before but never aloud; He didn't know how to pronounce it. Kevin got the message, that's all that mattered.

Andrew got out of the car and didn't close the door behind him. He walked up to the porch, wooden and creaky. The house seemed huge in front of him. He couldn't help but think back to the single room he'd considered his home the past few years. Aaron lived here, he might be right behind this door. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, knock? It all felt very anticlimactic.

He didn't have to chose though as a voice sounded from off to the left. Probably from the barn he'd seen when they'd driven in, "Oh. Kevin? Is everything alright?"

It was a woman, "Aaron honey why are you hom-" And then she stopped talking. She was frozen. Andrew didn't have great vision so he couldn't make out the specifics of her appearance. She was dressed in overalls and had reddish brown hair. She didn't move an inch. 

They stared at each other for what must have been at least a minute before Kevin broke the silence, "Uh, Andrew, this is Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn, this is Andrew. Aaron's brother."

She stepped forward, her appearance becoming clearer and clearer to Andrew. She had a big nose and a reserved smile on her face. 

"Wow. I can't believe you're real."

And Andrew scowled at that, "Where is he?"

"Lexie from the church went into labor. He's delivering her baby. It could be a while."

God, what had Aaron done with his life. Married and moved to the country where people didn't have their children in hospitals. Andrew held back another scowl.

Kevin and her exchanged small talk about Lexie and the church and children and whatnot. Andrew was still frozen at the door. He didn't belong in this town. He didn't belong in this world. Neither did Neil. 

And his brother did belong here. He'd gotten everything he ever whispered to Andrew he'd wanted. They'd made a game of it. Exchanging truths when the rain pounded so hard that neither of them could sleep. Aaron had told Andrew about the beautiful house he would have. He talked about his beautiful wife who he would love completely. He told Andrew about wanting to be a dad to beautiful children who he would give the world. He had gotten all of it.

"Would you like to come inside? The girls are with Margie today but Joseph's inside. He's down for a nap and shouldn't fuss much." And Andrew was frozen.

Joseph. 

It could be a coincidence. She could have chosen the name randomly. They could have gotten that name from anywhere. It couldn't mean anything.

"Yes, I'd like to meet him. Joseph."

She smiled, Andrew didn't like it. He hadn't even seen his brother yet. Stupid Lexie, couldn't she have had her baby at any other time. 

A reunion was in order. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: someone irrelevant gives birth, period typical homophobia a little bit (only vaguely described), I think that's it

When they were little, still holed up in that apartment their mother occupied, Aaron would read to Andrew. He'd been taught by a neighbor. The one who would sneak them sandwiches whenever he could, which wasn't often enough to keep them from going thin. His name was Mr. Dubois. Andrew told him it was French. One of the French prostitutes went by madam Dubois. Aaron didn't like that Andrew hung out down there. He countered by saying that he had nowhere better to be. 

Andrew refused to be taught. Said he would just slow Aaron down in the process. Over time, when they went from 7 to 8 to 9 and Aaron was proficient enough to do it on his own he promised he'd teach Andrew. It wasn't like he couldn't read. He was no great performer or scholar but he knew the basic sounds things made. He could hold a conversation just as well as Aaron could. Maybe even better. Surprisingly Andrew was very social. Mostly with prostitues but it was better than only talking to the men his mom brought over or Mr. Dubois. 

He tried to teach his brother how to write too. That's where the problem came. Andrew just couldn't get it. No matter how long they tried he just got more frustrated with himself. Aaron couldn't blame him. He'd sacrificed his possibility of learning for Aaron. The consequences came. He knew they were going to come. Didn't mean it didn't hurt. Just because you knew a hit was coming didn't mean the ache was any easier to handle. Aaron didn't like to see his brother struggle, the whole time he tried to teach Andrew was a struggle. He had no foundation.

His grip on the pencil was weird, odd. He held it with his whole fist. Mr. Dubois was a more patient teacher than Aaron was. They had spent at least a week on grip alone. Aaron skipped over that portion when teaching his brother. They started with the most simple thing they could. The alphabet. Andrew's a looked like an n, his b was really a d, and his c was perfectly fine. Aaron thought maybe there was something different in his brain. He could remember anything someone told him out loud but when it came to recreating what was on paper, he was a lost cause. But they were twins, they must be the same, and Aaron could read and write just fine. He couldn't make sense of it.

Andrew told him to give up. Said it wasn't worth his time. So Aaron dropped it.

Mr. Dubois had a son. Set to inherit the store run by his father. He was a little older than the twins. Maybe he saw something in them that reminded him of his own son, that was the only explanation Aaron could think of for why he treated them so kindly. Andrew didn't much like Mr. Dubois himself, a thought Aaron couldn't possibly comprehend. He was distrustful of him in a way that would make you think something had happened. Aaron asked and asked and asked but he assured Aaron that he was fine. Nothing had happened. It was still okay for him to go for his lessons. 

The first few times they went over weren't technically lessons, back when Andrew still accompanied him. Aaron listened to the radio with Mr. Dubois in the front room while his son read to Andrew in the other room. He read him all sorts of books. Andrew would retell the stories to Aaron, years later, when the thought of a warm house and welcoming neighbors was a distant memory and nothing more.

Aaron suspected. He was always an inquisitive young man, Mr. Dubois reminded him of the fact often. Aaron suspected things he didn't dare speak aloud. His teacher was a man who grumbled about the prostitutes Andrew knew by name and spoke of a god like it was the only thing. To him God was everything. He would begin a sentence only to stop and say things about not wanting Aaron to be corrupted. He didn't understand fully, but he suspected.

He'd always suspected. Andrew was just different. Aaron didn't dare to say anything aloud. He still wouldn't, even with his brother far far far away. Just in case it got back to someone important, and they beat his brother to death. He'd heard of cases. Winced and said nothing. Kaitlyn had a cousin who was of that persuasion. She'd run away before her father could kill her. Aaron didn't understand how anything could be worth that risk. Could his brother truly not just pretend?

This girl, miss Lexie, well Aaron suspected the same of her. Nothing about her screamed anything out of the ordinary. It was her companion, who let Lexie squeeze her arm half to death as she pushed and pushed and pushed, that made Aaron think otherwise. To be fair for most of the birthing he just waited for her cervix to dilate fully. It was a lot of pain for Lexie and not a lot of work for him. He had plenty of time to think, he couldn't help but suspect this girl of something. She had short hair. Not the sort of bob Kaitlyn despised, but a messy sort of short. Almost like a boy. She wore overalls, Kaitlyn wore them when she worked on their garden or with their animals but otherwise she preferred skirts and dresses. These looked like the kind a young man would wear to a family picnic. It was odd to see it on a girl. Not as odd as it had been in the city. There, in the dark of the night boys were girls and vice versa. Aaron wasn't inherently opposed to it. He didn't understand it, but he didn't have anything against it.

So he ignored the way their fingers interlocked or the way the boy-girl looked at Lexie. Instead he focused on her labor. It was a success with no significant vaginal ripping. No stitches for miss Lexie. It was a baby girl. Her eyes were still closed tight as baby's so often were. She was gross looking but if it had been Aaron's child then he's sure she would've been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. As it stood she was just gross as all baby's are. The way they looked at her, these two girls, well how could that be wrong. 

Robin and him washed their hands in the kitchen sink and she laughed when he made a little yuck sound. There was a line where his glove stopped where blood and guts and after birth had gotten on him. He would never let any of his patients see him react this way but one of his favorite things to do was to describe how gross and disgusting whatever it was he did at work that day was to his wife. She could handle even the most disgusting of stories. She laughed at them even. He didn't mind when she was the one laughing at his expense. He couldn't wait to tell her about how weird looking this baby was. She loved to hear about the birthing's the most. Especially because he'd always shower her with compliments of how beautiful she'd been during the kid's births. Definitely in perfect condition. Much better than Lexie, of course she was. They could keep the reality of it to themselves.

Once he had scrubbed himself clean of the exciting event he gave Lexie and her family the instructions for care. Robin filled in the gaps where his exhaustion left holes. They left the number to the doctor's office as if it hadn't been the same when Lexie was born. They left with a wave and a smile and the girl-boy hugged him tightly afterwards. She was a good hugger.

As they left the building dead on their feet the horse's tied to the fence neighed at them. He didn't miss the irony in the apple he fed to his horse, Curly. The girl's had named her that. There had been a borderline explosive fight between Corny and Curls. A compromise was made. Robin was always the better of them with horses and her stamina was certainly impressive. She took point as he hitched himself onto the back of Curly. Her mane was straight as straw. She'd been his faithful companion all his years in this town. He loved her deeply.

The trail was maybe five minutes to the main road and from there he and Robin would split ways and he'd head home for the day. 

That's what they'd have done any other day. Instead Kevin Day was waiting at the end of the trail with a pensive look on his face. As soon as he heard the clopping of hooves his head shot up, "Aaron! Let me drive you home right now."

Aaron stopped a few feet from the car, "Is everything okay? Has something happened? Is my family okay?"

And Kevin nodded. "They're fine." but he didn't elaborate anymore. Kevin barely interacted with anyone if he could help it. He wouldn't be driving Aaron home for no reason.

"Kevin. What is it."

Kevin avoided his eyes. He seemed like he couldn't spit it out. Aaron's patience was running thin.

"Your brother. He's here. He's at your house."

Aaron was frozen. 

Nobody said anything for what might have been a minute.

"Andrew?"

And Kevin nodded, "He brought a boy with him. A man. An old friend of mine. He's sick and at the office. I'm gonna look after him after I drop you off."

A string of nothingness and everything went through Aaron's mind. He let a rare smile grace his lips, "Go Kevin, I'll get there faster on my own. Thank you. I- I don't know what to say."

"Just go Aaron. He came here for you. Go."

And he hadn't run Curly this fast in years but this was for his brother. 

He wondered if he looked different, would he and Andrew share the same face anymore? He hadn't seen him for years. For half a lifetime. This was, this was uncharted territory. Aaron was smiling. This was his brother. 

Curly enjoyed the push and he took her as fast as she would go. He'd lost some gauze on the way but that couldn't matter less than it did in this moment. He was going to see his brother.

When his house came into view there weren't any extra cars pulled up. Kevin or Seth must have given him a ride. He was inside. He must have been inside. Maybe he'd met Kaitlyn. Maybe he'd met the girls and Joseph. 

He prayed he wouldn't hold the naming against him.

A cloud of dust and dirt rose behind him and he pulled on her reigns to slow down. He'd tie her just outside for now. he could put her away later. 

He practically jumped off her, the knot he tied was hasty but functional. 

He didn't know what to expect. 

He reached for the doorknob, and swung the door open.

If someone made a painting of Aaron's family. Aaron's home. His children, his wife, the dog, the fireplace, the table, the lanterns, the dinner just coming out of the oven. This was what it would look like. Minus a scar that Aaron didn't have, with a slightly different hair cut and clothing. This was Aaron's life, his life with Andrew in it.

He looked just like he expected him to and somehow completely different.

He was carrying Joseph in his arms.

They just held gazes. This was his brother. This was Andrew. He owed his whole life to this man. He wouldn't have his life without this man. This was himself in another. This was his life. This was his brother. This was Andrew. 

"Aaron."

"Andrew" He let out a breathy laugh of disbelief, "Your voice is so much deeper. You- Oh my god Andrew. It's, it's good to see you. It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too."

"Why did- why now? I mean I'm so glad you're here. Just, it's been so long."

"My . . . friend." Aaron suspected he knew what that pause meant, "He's with a doctor named Gordon where you work. He's sick with something. He's the one who helped me track you down. You've got quite the life out here."

And Andrew broke their eye contact to look to where Kaitlyn was in the kitchen. She had cooked a chicken, if there ever was a special occasion, this would be it, "I assume- I assume you've met everyone?" Aaron felt like he was taking all the wrong turns. Should he treat Andrew as a guest? He didn't even really know him anymore. He'd grown. He became a man. He wasn't the same scared boy that Aaron had known.

"Ginny and Mary weren't convinced that I wasn't you at first. Your wife told me this one's name. Really, Aaron?"

He spoke like he was from the city. He wondered if that's where he'd been all this time. 

"He's named after you."

Andrew laughed a little but it was more of an exhale than anything else. It sounded self deprecating, "I picked up on that."

"I've missed you"

And Andrew froze. His finger's held tightly by an 8 month old. Aaron tried to remember where he'd royally screwed up. Andrew only ever froze like this when he was scared. Or at least, that's how it had been. But Aaron must have done something wrong. Had he forgotten some major event. Was the name Joseph tainted in some way. Was he not supposed to have said he missed him? Aaron diverted his eyes. didn't want to be caught staring. He truthfully didn't think he could look away for the first few minutes. Scared this was all a strange dream. A hallucination. His hopes and his greatest dreams brought forth by a feverish state. maybe he was mumbling his brother's name to Kaitlyn as she pressed a cool rag to his forehead. 

"That name, I don't mind it so much."

"Did you drive here?"

Andrew nodded, "Neil, the boy, he stole a car and we took turns driving. Left two days ago."

"You've been that close the whole time?" Andrew's expression changed a little bit, maybe it was anger. He couldn't read him like he use to. His face was no longer a mirror. They were different. He had no idea what that change meant. He'd learn again. He had to.

"Never left." Okay it might have been resentment. 

Aaron took a moment. Another long moment to just stare at Andrew. This was his brother. It felt like the more he told himself that the less he believed it. How far his brother had come just to see him.

"We gotta hide that car. where is it?"

The corner of Andrew's mouth tugged up, the anger faded just the slightest bit, "I don't think you've turned out to be a very good influence. I might not mind this Dr. Minyard"

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

"Lose the metaphors farmer boy."

"I'm literally a doctor."

Kaitlyn called out from the kitchen, "The barn has space for a car but it'll have to wait until after dinner. I've got a brother in law to get to know."

Andrew sent him a look he couldn't decode. He'd learn. No matter how long it took. He'd read the planes of his brother's face like scripture. He'd memorize the slightest movements of muscles, the quirk of a brow, the turns of the corner's of his mouth, the way his eyes flit side to side and up and down. He'd start from scratch, he wouldn't let Andrew go until he knew him like he had.

All those years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: discussion of sick Neil

As it turns out, Andrew isn't as forthcoming as he once had been. That in and of itself is saying a lot. 

Andrew had grown from a happy happy boy to the shell of someone the world had stepped on. That's how Aaron had last known him. He'd seen the progression of it, His smiles slipping off his face in the matter of weeks. It was such a quick shift that neither of them had the time to talk it out. Not that Andrew would have. He spoke bluntly. Quick and direct and effective. He ignored stupid questions like, "Where'd you get that bruise?", "Where are your parents?", or "Did he hurt you bad tonight?" The last one had been Aaron's question. He already knew the answer, of course he knew. An act like that would never be anything short of agonizing. His brother had changed, where he used to tell Aaron he was fine and there was nothing to worry about, now he just stayed silent.

He had seen the change in his brother.

Aaron wishes that the withdrawal had been a temporary response to their shitty circumstances. Instead it was a change Andrew seemed to maintain. They sat across from each other, a twin on either end of the dining table. It was a mirror in a way. Aaron resisted the urge to mimic what his brother was doing. He probably wouldn't have liked that very much. Aaron thought it would've been funny.

Maybe the Andrew he'd known before the Spear's inn would have laughed or chuckled or even let out a little exhale. But this wasn't that same boy.

He was oddly enough, polite to Kaitlyn. He treated Joseph like a piece of glass and the girls like adults. He was bouncing the baby on his knee as he ate with his hands. He was an oxymoron in so many ways. 

"So Andrew, who's this Neil?" She probably meant nothing more than friendly conversation by it but Andrew's hand still froze for a millisecond as it brought food to his mouth. The way he chewed made Aaron think he was probably stalling, hoping to find his words as the chicken and bread melted in his mouth. Kaitlyn could be magic if she wanted and apparently tonight she had. He reached out for her hand and interlaced their fingers for a moment before returning to his food. The girls stayed silent. They kept staring at Andrew. He wondered if all those eyes made his brother skittish.

Once he'd swallowed and let the baby bounce for a few seconds he finally spoke, "I met him in the city. At my work."

Kaitlyn hummed around a mouthful of mashed potatoes, "What do you do for work?"

Andrew told them about his security job and Aaron didn't try to hide how impressed he was. Though farm work had given Aaron some bulk he was still relatively small, Andrew though, he was like a wall. He almost looked like a strongman at a circus. He answered all the questions the girls had about the city and thankfully avoided the harsher topics. He gave Aaron a look when they asked if it was scary living in the city, it was something softer almost, something peeking behind the nothingness, "It can be. Avoid living there if you can."

Aaron knew what his brother was thinking. How by the time they were the age the girls were now, they'd already had to sleep on the streets. How terrifying the nights could be. Especially if one or the other was sick or hurt or cold. There was nothing scarier than the chance of waking up holding your dead brother. Aaron had to look away.

There hadn't been silence until this moment. Of course, the moment Aaron let himself think of those nights, the silence came back to.

Kaitlyn brings her hand back to his and she squeezes it every five seconds or so until he comes back to himself. He didn't let his mind stroll too far. He knew Andrew was looking at him, but he kept his eyes on the planks of the floor. It's only maybe a minute before he feels in control again. He squeezes her hand back and looks up at Andrew. The girls hadn't noticed, Andrew was asking them questions but kept his eyes on Aaron.

They shared a gaze for a moment before Kaitlyn spoke up and they both turned to look at her.

"Well, why don't y'all pick up that car now. You can check in on your boy there too." Kaitlyn's tone was lightly teasing and Andrew glared a little at her. Aaron held a laugh. Maybe Aaron's suspicions were correct if she had come to the same idea, she was smarter than him in most ways.

Andrew kept his furrowed brow as he gently handed Joseph to Kaitlyn and moved to stand. Aaron did too, it felt like an instinct that had just resurfaced. A call and a response.

"I can drive you to the office and you can drive that car back?"

Andrew nodded and went to put on his coat. Aaron grabbed the keys from the kitchen and took a moment to breathe out of view of everyone else. As unreal as this whole thing was, it didn't feel wrong. It was jarring. He exhaled and headed back outside kissing the top of Kaitlyn's head as he passed. 

Andrew had a cigarette between his lips and was patting his pockets. Aaron lifted a matchbook and his brother swiped it from him. They stayed there in silence, looking out at the swaths of land, the horizon quickly becoming blurred with the setting sun. He wondered if Andrew saw what he saw. He wondered what his brother was thinking. Why did he wait until this moment? Why now?

Andrew threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with the heel of his boot.

"Let's go."

And Aaron led the way to the car, it was light blue. He secretly loved it. Kaitlyn probably knew, sent him to do the errands she could have done on her own. Any excuse to get behind the wheel and absolutely rip it down the road. He hopped into the driver's seat and reached over to unlock the passenger side door. It was dusk and animals would probably start jumping into the road, he'd have to go slower than he wanted. Andrew sat down almost cautiously, "Nice car."

"You can drive it tomorrow, or another day. As long as me or Kate don't need it."

And Andrew just nodded. He started the car.

-

There were no animals in the road on their way and the only sound down the long stretches of dirt road was the roaring of the engine and the soft music playing on the radio. Andrew just looked out the window the whole time. Neither of them spoke.

They pulled up to the office and Aaron could see the car they must have brought to town. It was bright red and askew in it's spot. The windows were all the way down and there was something, vomit maybe, down the side. He sent Andrew an expression of disgust and he just huffed something just short of a laugh, "You never outgrew that?"

"It's gotten better."

They stepped out and were soon stepping into the building. Kevin's car was the only other one in the parking lot so the door was unlocked. He hummed while he worked, a habit that at first annoyed him and then became comforting. This same humming was coming from the back room, "Kevin! We're coming back there."

Andrew followed his brother back but as soon as the patient was in sight he pushed ahead and sat down next to him. Aaron couldn't tell if he was conscious.

Kevin turned to him, "A bad fever and stomach pain. I won't be able to tell if it's from the bruises he has, the malnutrition, or from something internal until he's able to speak." Aaron nodded and looked down at the boy. Some may call him a man, he looked short enough to be a child but Aaron knew height could be deceiving better than anyone. He might be slightly younger than them but not by much. He was curled in on himself with his eyes scrunched shut. He clutched the hand Andrew had offered him. Aaron couldn't help but wonder what their relationship was. 

There was nothing inherently sexual in the way Andrew looked at him. in fact there wasn't much behind Andrew's gaze. It was flat and simple. He didn't even seem to be too concerned. Maybe Aaron's suspicions had been wrong.

"I can care for him at my home. Will you have Seth take my patients for the rest of the week. I'll return to work when his fever breaks and he's over his illness"

"I suppose so. Would you let me know when he's conscious and able to hold a conversation. I haven't seen him for years and I-"

"Of course, you'll be the first to know. Thank you Kevin."

The tall man nodded to him, then to Andrew and stepped out. His footsteps echoed away.

"Okay, if you want to take my car back you can park it where it was before. I'll drive the other one into the barn and cover it with tarps. If you take him inside Kaitlyn can show you to a bed. Would that be alright?" Aaron asked it not really expecting there to be any disagreement.

"There's vomit."

"What?"

"In the other car. He threw up in it, repeatedly."

Aaron scrunched his face again, then looked between this boy and Andrew, "Okay, well. . . Either I can drive him in my car or you can drive him in the vomit car. It'll be quite far to carry him from the barn but-"

"I can carry him." Andrew seemed sure.

"Okay. Well, I'll lock up the office now if you want to take him to that car. It's dark so you can just follow right behind me when we leave. Be careful, animals jump out sometimes. Drive slower than you think you need to."

Andrew just nodded, not looking away from . . .Aaron realized he couldn't remember the boy's name. What had Andrew called him? Neil? Yes that was it, Neil. He wouldn't look away from Neil, so Aaron just went to the front and began to lock up. It wasn't a long process but by the time he had the front door closed and locked Andrew was waiting in his car with the motor running. Aaron nodded to him and they began their slow two car parade home.

Kaitlyn held a flashlight by the barn and had opened the doors widely while they'd been gone. As Aaron headed towards the side of the house he could see Andrew creeping forward into the awaiting darkness. It was for storage more than anything. There was one stall for Curly but that was only really for at night. As he parked he looked to where he'd tied her up. She was gone, Kaitlyn must have taken care of that too. She was handling this much better than he could have ever hoped for and he was struck once again by how lucky he'd been to have made a life with her. 

He turned off the car and locked the doors, giving a lingering touch to the smooth blue surface. Andrew, holding the boy, and Kaitlyn were a few feet away so he held the door open for them. His brother kept his expression of indifference but clutched the boy tightly and navigated the narrow door in a way to ensure neither his head nor feet bumped into anything. He was, in his own way, caring for the boy.

Aaron held the door just long enough for him to nod to Kaitlyn and her to take it, he then passed his brother and led him down a hallway to their guest room. It served the purpose of storage mostly, cleaned out when Kaitlyn had a visitor. They hadn't been expecting anyone to be coming over so boxes still covered the bed. Though Andrew looked solid Aaron was sure that the five or so minutes of holding another person, no matter how underweight, couldn't have been easy. He cleared the boxes quickly and carefully and stepped out of the way so Andrew could set him down. Neil. He set Neil down. He'd have to practice to remember. Names were never his forte. 

"We only have one extra bed, I'll get the cot from the attic. It's not super comfortable but it should be okay for tonight."

Andrew just nodded from where he stood next to the bed. When Aaron came back he was in the same position, but instead of staring at the boy he was staring at the wall.

Aaron felt weird leaving them here.

"Will you wake me up if his condition worsens?"

Andrew just stared at him.

"Wake me up if he can't stop throwing up, becomes delirious, or is in obvious amounts of pain. Kaitlyn's getting a cold rag for him now. Are you still a light sleeper?"

Andrew nodded, looking at the boy again.

"Well he'll probably groan or something if anything bad happens so that'll wake you up. Even if you're just worried about something, you can wake me up. If you need water you know where the kitchen is. Our bedroom is the first one on the left upstairs. If you're up before us don't worry about food, Kaitlyn and I alternate cooking and it's my day tomorrow. I'll make something when I get up. I think that's everything. Oh, there's a small bathroom across the hall from this room."

Andrew nodded again and opened his mouth, for a second Aaron thought he wasn't going to say anything but then, "Thank you."

And it sounded painful.

"His fever's not too high now. It'll break, I know it will."

Andrew nodded like he believed it.

**Author's Note:**

> Andrew arrives next chapter!! Hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
